Ahuriri development: ‘Strong interest’ in changing face of historic fishing village

The two-building mixed apartment and commercial development is nearing completion on Customs Quay. Photo / Warren Buckland

Ahuriri will have a different summer look with a new commercial and residential development taking shape in the historic seaside village.

Mackersey Development director Annah Kight said there had been no significant delays to the two-building development at Customs Quay from Cyclone Gabrielle and they aimed to have construction completed by early 2024.

Napier City Council approved the Customs Quay development at 72 West Quay and 9 Customs Quay in late 2020 that involved the removal of a Group 1 Heritage building or a building considered to be of prime importance to the heritage of the city.

All buildings within the West Quay Waterfront Zone are considered by the Council to be in Group 1.

The larger of the two new buildings, Customs One, will have a mix of commercial office, retail and hospitality space available for lease on the ground floor.

An Asian fusion restaurant and espresso bar have already leased two spaces.

Above that will be three levels with 18 high-end apartments ranging in size from 120sq m to 385sq m.

All apartments come with basement parking.

Private free title purchases for residential units will open following the completion of construction in 2024, according to Kight.

The second building, Customs Two, will be three levels and made up of retail and office spaces.

An artist's impression of the Customs Quay development when completed. Image / Supplied

One office space on the ground floor of Customs Two has been leased so far and one retail space is still available.

The first and second floor are all office space, about 265sq m a floor.

“[We] have a number of proposals out with tenants. We have had strong [interest in] both office and retail space to date,” Kight said.

She said those who lease the office or commercial spaces can access them for fitting by late 2023, and the spaces would probably be available for lease from early 2024.

Napier City Council is forging ahead with its Inner Harbour Development Plan, after some pesky penguins created a slight hold-up. Photo / Warren Buckland

Meanwhile, the old Jull Wharf has been removed as part of the Napier Inner Harbour Development.

The proximity of the old wharf to kororā nesting boxes made the job a bit more complex, but Napier City Council made progress after working with experts.

“Jull Wharf has now been removed and works continue on the revetment at the Iron Pot. There is now wire netting over the revetment to discourage penguins from getting in among the rocks,” a council spokeswoman said.

“This is because more work will take place at this site over the coming months. The priority is to ensure the pedestrian walkway is safe and secure (it was built on ‘31 rubble) before more work happens.”

The Council spokeswoman said no penguins needed to be removed during the works and wired off area was relatively small compared to the overall space for penguins.

”It won’t affect their breeding season because there are a number of other places very close by for them to go,” she said.

“They look for nests in about June but the breeding season is over summer, so when we began this demolition we had to be very careful to make sure we had penguin spotters on site.”

The full development includes a new berth for ocean-going waka Te Matau-a-Māui to the Bridge St end of the Iron Pot, facilities like toilets and changing facilities, educational storyboards, improvements to the stormwater outfall and kororā nesting area restoration.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz